Vacuum-tight coupling joint for engines and the like



Oct. 12, 1943. c. c. vBITTNEFI 2,331,649 l 'VACUUM-TIGHT couPLING JoINT Eon ENGINES AND IEE LIKE Filed Feb; 17, 1941 Patented Oct. 12, 1943 `VACUUM1TIGHT COUPEING JINTFOR f ENGINES AND THE QDIKE 4 Charles* C. Bittner, Chicago,V Ill., assi-gnor of orge,- twelteth Vto 'Wilbur S. Trader, Chicago, Ill., andone-third to-Fred Burt y 7, 1941,y Serial Nf799253 Application 1iebruary 1 s claims. (onzas- 9) This invention relates 'to a vacuum :tight noupling ijoint primarily designed `for use :between internal fcom'bustion :engines and 'a 'vacuum iproducingmediumfor drawing oif the-exhaust, lout adapte'dtforother uses. 4

. In the .past attempts-have madeto use' mechanical j oints for such'a purposeitbut 'the `high excessive rate Y.of self-destruction offsuch 'joints made it, impossible to putithemaintouse. Further in fprior devices the centrifugalforeein the propeller :blades .has not fbeen Amade --feifective 1 as vran aid tothe vacuum.

According to my inventionf dispensewith niechanical joints 'and avoid :all 'hieatfand abrasion arising from `packed. i oints and contacts and ern-- tightlywagainst'theldrum; "A nut 1a threaded on the'ishank is forcedragainstthecollar 1a. A circular web or siiangeY l0 .extends "inwardly f from the. drum 9, 'lntheform yof ya fat ring whichis braced bya reinforcing ring or spider Ila. The

exhaust ofthe engine 'is Ides'ign'edto beldrawn through fthe ring -II 'into the Epropeller idrum. This'exhau-st `passes `from the lengine'manifolds 2 `through apertures 4"Hd formed'in :the vcircular engine 'end `fplate Hb as showninF'gfll. It`wil1 benotedthat the `aperturesIfl'd "are inthe form ploy 4on `theother hand, ahydraulic'fjoint inwhich v centrifugal force iis utilized to 'Create a 'vacuum tight liquidseal by. creating-a substantially l'solid ring of oil between the .relatively rotatable parts.

The invention Acomprises ithe 'novel :structure and combination of parts ,hereinafter .described and moreparticularly'` pointed ont andfdefned in the appended claims.

In ,the accompanying drawingwhich .illustrates a preferred V*form of thisinventionfand in which4 similar reference .numerals .refer to similar .fea-

tures inthe differentviews: a s

Fig. l is 1a Vsectional view taken thru 'a vacuum tight `coupling involving thiszinvention.

Fig.` 2 is van enlarged r:fragmentary 'sectional view of therace way and-annulus.

In referring now ito the drawing, it will -be noted that the invention has l'been illustrated 1 Ain connection with xhollow propellers` l of an iairplane which maybe taken .as .the lvacuum .pro-

ducing means for withdrawing the exhaust fromv the manifolds 2 of ran internal .combustion 'engine 3 which may be of rany suitable type tir-design.

The invention, however, concerns itself more particularly `with the creation fof afvacuium tight seal that `is free ofthe elements of destruction between a rotatable `member which may-be fa lpropeller hub and a stationary member associated with some power unit such as `an engine.

The propeller hub or drum generally denoted'` by the reference 4 `is .secured uponA the forward end of the engineshaft 5 bythe nuts 6. This hub 4 has two diametricallyopposite socket members I which are provided with arcuate collars 'la at their outer ends that fit tightly against the drum 9 of the hub. Hollow Shanks 8 of the propeller blades I are threaded into the socketsi'l as shown in Fig. 4, and they extend through suitable openings in the drum member 9. An arcuate collai 9a surrounds the propeller shank and ts of 'a circular series. `Certain of "the apertures Hdfregister Withiopenings I'Sinfthesocketsll. 1

To "further reinforce the 'hub structure, the ring Il is clamped against the socket members f1 by means ofthe arcuate bridgingpieces ilupon the opposite `sides `of `the socket imer'iibe'rs '1 through which bolts i i9 extend that Vengage lugs 2l on the :sockets 1.. 'It'will-beunderstood that the propeller hub #with its reinforcing 'ring l Ira rotates 'withthe-engine'shaft 5. Iniit's rotation,v

rit carries 'withfit a 'centrifugal .force producing annulus I'22 which 'has .a vertic'al flange 23 'atL tached tothe web 1 I0 ofther'hub upon 'the op# posite 'side/of l'ring f I "la, 'The attachingiang'e .23

terminates ina horizontal ringy portion '24 pro vided with an rintermediateiin vand a terminal vertically directed'flan'gell'i. The `flangei terminates alsiorizofntal` 'webfZl vfrom rwhich'three fins t28, 29 y:and .llextendioutwardly of web `21. In alignment lwithziinf3|1,'thereis an inwardly directedvr iin 31 `thaty extends parallel to flange-25 and that approaches .the'top'of one of thethree sdoacedfinslZv on thecir'cular engine-"collar 311 that-formsipart of the exhaust manifolds 2.

This nmanifold ring has-fa 'vertical -ilailige `35 that extends outwardly I'in f'elo's'eproximity 'to 'the fins iustdeseribed and also' tnereabove "where 'it is `provided with a 'pair o'f laterally extending nange's .3S and 31, the latterof which is inter n'ally threaded; The flanges`36 and 31 extendfin the same direction in parallel rel-ation ian'd form a 'giroove'therebetween-for receivinga rib 38 on receiving the threads en the fangelB'i.. `It will tion v'toward the propeller hub "and `approaches the horizontal ringportion 24 of thecentrifugal annulus 22. V

Thus it will be seen that theflange in cooperation with the plate 39 forms an annular groove or pocket in which the centrifugal annulus 22 ro- It will also be noted that the engine ring or flange 34 'terminates in an outwardly extending right angled portion 40 that cooperates with ange 35 for forming a groove for the fins 32 that parallels the fianges 24 and 23 of the centrifugal annulus 22. An inlet faucet 4l for liquid preferably oil is attached to the flange 35 for discharging a liquid into the upper part of the groove in which the centrifugal annulus rotates, while at the lower portion of the groove, there is a drain or overflow receiving well 42 that communicates through an opening 43 in flange 35 with said groove. The faucet 4l and well 42 are shown with pipes 43 and 44 extending therefrom and which may lead to a lubricating pump or the like (not shown).

The engine shaft 5 may be supported in a suitable ball bearing structure 45 which is suitably sealed as shown. Upon diametrically opposite points of the ball bearing, there extend the exhaust manifolds 2 of the engine which discharge into the collecting chamber formed by drum part 9 and the end closure 41 andinto the sockets 'l through the openings Ild and I3 as shown by the arrows in Fig. 4. The exhaust finally passes longitudinally through the ;hollow propeller blades.

'I'he outer.` end of thefdrum-like hub which is tightly closed by the dome or cap 4l' threaded into the outer end of the drum 9 as shown in Fig. 4 forms a vacuum tight collection chamber for Yreceiving exhaust gases through the orifices Hd. From this chamber, the gases .enter the sockets 1, As the drum part 9 of the hub is subjectedto pressure from without due to the vacuum therein, it requires the bracing shown and described. l

It will be understood that the annular flange 35 on the engine or stationary member' and the plate 39 together with the engine part 34 form a substantially enclosed race way inwhich a liquid such as oil can be confined or trapped. The ns 32 in the bottomof the race way tend to prevent the oil from finding its way into the propeller hub. It will also be noted that the centrifugal forceA` producing annulus 22 rotates in this Substantially enclosed race way and that its laterally extendingiiange 24 with its attaching Vportion 23 secured to the drum web I0, provideslan offset relation between the annulus and such web. This construction makes it possible to use a substantially enclosed race'way having both tight sealing medium. A suitable amount of such` oil may be put in the race way through the inlet faucet 4|. If the rotating member including the propeller hub is still, the'oil will naturally gravitate down intothe bottom of the race way where any overflow will enter the well 42. It will, of course, be understood that at such times there is no sealing relation between the stationary member suchA as the engine and the rotary member such as the propeller hub or vacuum producing member. However, as soon as the shaft 5 of the internal combustion engine starts to rotate, the annulus 22 which' rotates therewith will lift the oil and through centrifugal action force `it against the outer surface of the race way so that a thick film or ring of oil is formed between the outer cylindrical surface of the race way and the annulus. Due to the ns on the annulus, such ring of oil will be easily sustained and confined in position to form a vacuum tight seal between the stationary member and the rotary member. During suiiiciently rapid rotation and centrifugal action, this sealing film or ring of oil may become a sufficiently tough or solid medium to appreciably resist penetration by a tool or the like.

I am aware that many changes may be made and various details of construction may be varied without departing from the principles of this invention and I do not propose limiting the patent granted thereon otherwise than necessitated by the prior art and appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

l. In a device of the class described, a stationary member having an annular flange extending therearound in a radial plane, said flange having spaced parallel and laterally extending elements forming a groove therebetween, one of said elements being threaded, a plate extending substantially parallel with said flange and having a rib extending into and threaded in said groove, said flange, plate and stationary member forming a liquid confining race way, a centrifugal force producing annulus in said race way and having a laterally extending ange at one side of said race Way, and a rotary drum-like member having an inwardly extending web secured to said laterally extending flange,

f 2. Means for providing a vacuum tight seal between a rotary member and a stationary member comprising a substantially enclosed oil confining race way in the stationary member, said race way having an outer annular surface adapted for receiving oil through centrifugal action and having a circular slot in one side Wall, and a centrifugal force producing annulus in said race way, said annulus having an outer circular rim with spaced ns directed toward said outer annular surface, and a laterally extending annular flange extending through said slot, a rotary member connected to said flange, and means for introducing oil into said race way whereby the rotation of said annulus will form a substantially solid ring of oil between said outer surface of the race way and the rim of 'said annulus, said ring of oil being confined by said fins.

3. Means for providing a vacuum tight seal between a rotary member and a stationary member comprising a substantially enclosed oil confining race way in the stationary member, said race Way including an outer annular surface adapted for receiving oil thru centrifugal action, a rotary annulus in said race way having a circular rim spaced from said annular surface, the circular space between said rirn'and annular surface being adapted to be sealed by a substantially solid ring of oil supported on said rim, means on said rim adapted for retaining said ring of oil, a rotary member and means on said annulus extending laterally from said race way and attached to said rotary member.

CHARLES C. BITTNER. 

